Tape-grip.



L. D. RICHARDSON.

TAPE GRIP.

AP1 LIOATION FILED JAN. 27, 1909,.

Patented Jue 15, 1909.

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UNITED STA ES PATENT OFIOE.

TAPE-GRIP.

Speccation of Letters atent.

Application filed January 27, 1909.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Serial No. 474,427.

To atl whom it Imay concern.'

Be it known that I, LOUIS D. RICHARDSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode Island, have invented a new and Improved Tape-Grip, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is an improvement in tape 'i grips designed to securelyhold an engineers ence indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved tape grip complete,showing the lever raised and a tape in position preparatory to clampingit in place; F ig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through the grip,with the gripping lever open; F ig. 3 is a similar section, with thegripping lever closed and t-he tape in position; Fig. 4 is a plan of thegrip; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

The tape grip embodies in its construction a rigid bar member l0, a barmember 11 and a lever 12, the bar member 11 being approximately one-halfof the length of the bar member 10, and the lever 12 pivoted thereto andextending, when closed, the remaining half length of the bar member andproviding in connection with the bar members,

- handholds at opposite ends. The bar member 11 is bifurcated at itsinner end toreceive the reduced inner end of the lever, the latter beingin the nature of a cam, and with the thickness of metal between itspivot and under side greater than the thickness of the metal between thepivot and its adjacent inner end. The bar member 11 is longitudinallygrooved on its under face to receive a spring 13 which is clamped to theface of the bar member 10 by suitable devices, as the screws let. Thehalf portion of the bar member 10 farthest removed from the bar member11 is similarly grooved on its inner face, as is also the lever,l toreceive a flat spring 13, the latter being secured at its outer end tothe bar member 10 by a screw or equivalent device 15, and the inner endthereof engaged by an adjusting' screw 16 threaded through the barmember 10. Both springs 13 and 18a are preferably wedge-shaped in thedirection of their lengths, with the enlarged ends thereof arrangedoutwardly and the inner and thinner end portions thereof overlapping andproviding opposed gripping surfaces, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3.These gripping surfaces or faces of the springs are preferably knurledto prevent slipping of the tape. The cam or hinged end of the lever 12bears on the end of the spring 13 and operates, when closed, to forcethe gripping faces of the springs together. Should the tape be of suchthickness that the gripping faces of the springs fail to clamp it whenthe lever is depressed, or that it is clamped before the lever is fullyclosed, the springs may be brought together or separated the properdistance by the adjustment of the screw 1G. The outer end of the leverand the adjacent end of the bar member 10 are beveled to facilitate theinsertion of the tape, and the grip at one side of the center' has yaneye or hook 17 for the attachment of spring balances.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A tape grip comprising a bar member, a second bar member ofsubstantially half the length of the first, secured to the upper facethereof, a lever pivoted to the second bar member, and means including aspring interposed between the bar members and operated by said lever toclamp the tape.

2. A tape grip comprising a bar member, a second bar member ofsubstantially `half the length of the first, secured to one facethereof, and means to clamp the tape including a lever pivoted to thesecond bar member, said lever havingy a beveled outer end to facilitatethe insertion of the tape.

3. A tape grip comprising a rigid bar member, a second bar member ofsubstantially one-half the length of the first and secured to one facethereof, and means including a lever, pivoted to said second bar memberfor clamping the tape between it and the first mentioned bar member.

et. rlhe combination in a tape grip, of a rigid bar member, flat springsSecured toy said member, having overlapping inner end portions providedwith opposed gripping faces, and means to force the springs together to.grip the tape therebetween.

5. The combination in a tape grip, of a rigid bar member, flat springssecured vto said member, having overlapping inner end portions providedwith opposed gripping laces, means to force the springs together to gripthe tape therebetween, and means for adjusting the distance between thegripping faces of the springs Vindependent of said means.

6. The combination in a tape gripper a bar member, a second bar memberof approximately one-half the length of the first bar member, securedthereto adjacent to one end, a spring arranged between the bar members,a second spring secured to the rst bar member adjacent to the oppositeend thereof, the springs having overlapping inner end portions, and alever pivoted to the second bar member to force the springs 'together toclamp the tape therebetween.

7. The combination 'in a tape 'gri-p, of a bar member, devices havingopposed gripping surfaces arranged near the center of the member, `alever to force one of said de- Vices to the other to grip the tapetherebetween, and means for adjusting the distance between the grippingfaces of said devices independent of the lever.

S. The combination in a tape grip, of a bar member, a lsecond bar memberof approximately one-half the length of the first bar member, securedthereto adjacent to one end thereof, flat springs having overlappinginner ends provided with gripping surfaces, with one of said springssecured between the bar members, and the other Aspring secured to thefirst bar member adjacent to its Jopposite end, and a lever pivoted 'to-the inner endV of the second bar member, having a cam inner 'end Atoforce the inner end portionfof one spring toward the inner end portionof the other.

In testimony whereof il have signed my name to this specification in thepresenceoi' two subscribing witnesses.

VLOUIS DEXTER RICHARDSON.

Vitnesses:

ELMER S. Cilaos, ALBERT A. BAKER.

